Panther Printshttps://www.peshprints.com
The News Source of Plano East Senior High SchoolSat, 17 Nov 2018 18:25:12 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8In the Kitchen with Lana Vonghttps://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/17/in-the-kitchen-with-lana-vong/
https://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/17/in-the-kitchen-with-lana-vong/#respondSat, 17 Nov 2018 18:25:12 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9218https://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/17/in-the-kitchen-with-lana-vong/feed/0Throwin’ it Down with Footballhttps://www.peshprints.com/sports/2018/11/16/throwin-it-down-with-football/
https://www.peshprints.com/sports/2018/11/16/throwin-it-down-with-football/#respondFri, 16 Nov 2018 18:02:07 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9216https://www.peshprints.com/sports/2018/11/16/throwin-it-down-with-football/feed/0Sporting Positive Mindsetshttps://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/15/sporting-positive-mindsets/
https://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/15/sporting-positive-mindsets/#respondFri, 16 Nov 2018 03:58:43 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9213Most serious athletes push themselves to do their best by practicing consistently and thinking of new ways to improve—all with the goal of winning in mind, but a big role in how they play is tied into the mentality they carry. Leading a team to victory can be influenced by encouraging team members to keep a positive mindset despite the obstacles they may face.

“I feel team mentality is super important in volleyball because it’s such a team sport,” senior varsity volleyball captain Jenna Deggs said. “If one person gets up, makes a good play or has a lot of energy, then that brings other people up with them, but at the same time if one person starts going downhill, that can bring the team downhill.”

In team sports, each individual’s emotions affect how the team operates. As Psychology Today describes, if one team member becomes overwhelmingly negative, it is destructive to the entire team. Team members may focus on the negative attitude of others instead of their own job. Negative emotions can be triggered by the slightest of failures, so teams set priorities on learning how to stay positive.

“Before meets, we usually like to hype each other up, saying that we’re a good team and we’re strong,” senior varsity swim captain Maryann Tran said. “There’s a saying that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer, so we take that positive energy and we have more fun and we swim better.”

To stay positive, teams and individuals can use the strategy of goal setting, a practice proven effective in boosting confidence. Setting attainable goals and maintaining a positive mentality helps athletes in achieving them.

“We’re in one of the hardest districts, so it was hard to stay positive and not just assume I’d lose but [instead be] brave, [go] to the net and [go] for shots I might not ordinarily go for, and being positive [helps],” senior tennis captain Allie Dyer said.

Emotions do not always have to get in the way of an athlete’s success. It can work for, rather than against, them. Following routines and staying in a positive mindset helps the individual to focus on doing well, not what they have done wrong. Working in this mindset as a team can boost overall morale and help the group achieve a common goal.

“By setting goals, we can strive for a bigger accomplishment,” Tran said. “My accomplishment right now is to make state, but I can’t do that alone. During practice, I have my teammates push me every day and we work on things together, so I have a positive attitude towards that goal.”

If a team lets one negative experience infect their team spirit, it could lead to multiple failures following. Keeping a team in a positive mindset is an important job for the team leader. Encouraging the team to stay optimistic, even while or after losing, can prevent future failures. This phenomenon is known as the emotional domino effect; one person’s emotions can send ripples through the whole team, affecting everyone.

Ultimately emotions are the deciding factor in how an athlete will perform, sitting on top of the Prime Sports Pyramid. The Prime Sports Pyramid contains five mental factors that influence athletic performance. Starting from bottom up they are motivation, confidence, intensity, focus and emotions. Since emotions are the most important and influencing factor of the pyramid, focusing on controlling emotions while participating in sports can help a person perform better.

“Everyone matters at the end of the day,” Deggs said. “It’s really important to make sure the entire team has a winning mentality and [has] competitiveness, but [also doesn’t get] distracted by all the other things that will happen on game days.”

Elaine Bottone and LTC Bernard Aikens talk to each other after the presentations on Nov. 7. Elaine Bottone served in the Korean War.

]]>https://www.peshprints.com/news/2018/11/14/veterans-day-2018/feed/0Metal Detectors Mark Second Wave of District Security Measureshttps://www.peshprints.com/news/2018/11/14/metal-detectors-mark-second-wave-of-district-security-measures/
https://www.peshprints.com/news/2018/11/14/metal-detectors-mark-second-wave-of-district-security-measures/#respondWed, 14 Nov 2018 16:56:31 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9198Security team members and administrators will be conducting random metal detector searches in the coming weeks in response to requests from parents and community members for improved security measures.

“[Teachers] are going comply, because it is a requirement of our jobs.” American studies teacher Penny Aguirre said. “[The metal detectors will] make [the school] feel much more institutionalized.”

The searches will be conducted randomly with a portable doorway detector and a metal detector wand. Students will pass through the portable detector while their backpacks remain in the classroom and are scanned with a wand, similar to amusement park or airport security checks.

“I think that [the metal detectors create] an environment where people intending to do bad things would be dissuaded from it,” Principal George King said. “I think too that there is some peace of mind that comes with the idea that efforts to ensure a safe and secure campus continue to be updated and improved.”

Security members and an extra safety monitor will carry out searches in the presence of an administrator. Plano East will share the security equipment with the other two senior high schools, transporting it back and forth when needed.

“[The searches] will be an interruption and it will [disrupt] the instruction process a little bit,” King said. “Clearly, you’re sacrificing instruction in order to do that.”

Random searches will take place one hallway at a time with a target time of around 10 minutes per class. Boys and girls will form two lines through the metal detector, and if the silent alarm is triggered, they will be searched by a security member of the same gender. Any contraband that sets off the alarm, including weapons and e-cigarettes, will be cause for punishment.

“[Metal detectors] are a must in this day and age,” math teacher Luna Ahmed said. “If I have to, I’ll catch the students up the next day.”

Security updates such as these have reignited a long-standing debate on whether metal detector searches create a safer environment, or one that is a reminder of looming threat.

“We’re going to try to maintain as much normalcy as we can because [the searches] feel really disruptive and unsafe,” Aguirre said.

While metal detector searches will be random, school officials may also search students if they have “reasonable suspicion” as established by the 1985 Supreme Court case New Jersey v. T.L.O. Probable cause in schools is different than legal probable cause, which requires tangible evidence before a search warrant issued.

“I’m hoping [the searches are] going to give students and teachers a sense of security that the district is doing all that they can to keep the students and staff safe,” Associate Principal Robert Eppler said.

The way in which he deals with his distaste for the media is concerning. Instead of defending himself with factual evidence, he takes to verbal abuse on Twitter and in speeches. Any coverage of him that he disagrees with is “fake news” and deemed “wrong.” If this news truly is “fake” then there is evidence to disprove the claim, and if the news is true, then the people of America should know.

A reporter’s job is to seek the truth, and so many times credible reporters have been verbally abused by our president for seeking truths he doesn’t want exposed. If Trump’s truth is not one he wants the public to see, then there need to be changes in office, not in the news. To deny a reporter access to the truth or to ridicule them for finding it is denying public access to that truth. The public deserves to know what is happening in their country, whether it exposes the president or not, such as the NSA surveillance disclosure that admitted to spying on hundreds of millions of Americans mobile device activity. To turn the other cheek when our leader is wrong is to let our country fail. All leaders have some ugly truth, as do most people. It has to come out sometime.

The way in which Trump has most recently been recorded verbally abusing the media is frightening because it promotes attacks on reporters. In his praising of Gianforte for his assault, he endorsed violence on the news. This is incredibly inappropriate with the recent death of reporter Jamal Khashoggiin Saudi Arabia who was tortured, killed and dismembered for being critical of the Saudi Arabian government. Our president, this country’s leader, is putting reporters, the news and the First Amendment in danger. Media sources are targeted for doing their job and providing deserving citizens with the untainted truth.

Trump often generalizes all reporters that have made claims he disagrees with as unfactual, often ruining their career for doing their job, seeking the truth. However, most of the claims made that he disagrees with are true. While some reporters are guilty of taking their opinion and stating it as fact, journalists can justly put their opinion into editorial pieces. Of course, he has a reason to dislike them (because most of them are exposing his flaws as a leader), but he has none to discredit them. His generalizations about reporters as a whole being biased-based spark further separation between the two parties, causing violence and conflict all over the nation. Violence sparking amongst Trump supporters is targeted towards these reporters they claim are biased, but often to the Republican crowd, any claim, even correct, against the president is biased.

A president should know his secrets will be on display before he walks in front of 325.7 million Americans, according to the United States Census Bureau, and should not ridicule reporters for doing their jobs and providing for the public. The way Trump operates on this issue is ‘frankly disgusting.’

]]>https://www.peshprints.com/opinion/2018/11/12/ladies-and-gentlemen-our-president/feed/0Surviving Texashttps://www.peshprints.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/09/surviving-texas/
https://www.peshprints.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/09/surviving-texas/#respondFri, 09 Nov 2018 18:37:26 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9176Just three weeks ago, a fifth grader in Plano ISD was bitten by an unidentified snake during the YMCA Collin County Adventure Camp. The child was supervised and received immediate care, but it’s not the first time someone uninformed of their environment went from visitor to victim in a matter of seconds. The following are just a few of the many plants and animals people should be cautious of, both in the park and at home.

Sneaky, Slithery Snakes

These reptiles are found in the most secluded areas—from lakes, to brush, to tool sheds. Most snakes are generally friendly unless provoked, but their bite can be lethal if not attended to properly.

The treatment for their bite is to first: find a safe area and make sure the victim remains calm. Afterward, immobilize the damaged area and remove any jewelry. If antivenom is not available, seek medical attention immediately. Do not try to suck out the venom. It does not work and can put the one assisting in danger as well.

Itsy Bitsy Deadly Spiders

Most people already tend to despise arachnids, even the harmless Daddy Long Legs. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, always keep an eye out for these critters and make sure to avoid them at all costs.

The first step in treating the wound is to clean the wound with soap and water, then apply a cool press to it while elevating it if possible. If it’s suspected to be a Brown Recluse, apply antibiotics to the bite. Take Benadryl and/or Tylenol for the pain, and watch for an infection.

Poisonous Plants

Although there are far fewer incidents involving humans, pets are far more likely to eat life-threatening vegetation in your yard or nearby parks—especially if you have an outdoor cat. Because there are so many dangerous plants, it’s better not to risk your pet consuming any of them.

If a human happens to come into contact with poison ivy, shower and/or bath as frequently as possible, apply lotion, use a cold press, and avoid scratching. See a doctor if the rash does not dissipate after 7-10 days.

It’s highly suggested to find a pet care center if you suspect your pet has ingested a dangerous plant or animal. If you’re unable to afford a professional veterinarian like the East Plano Murphy Pet Hospital, there are plenty of negotiable vets like Mercy Pet Clinic that are willing to set payment plans for your furry friend’s care!

]]>https://www.peshprints.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/09/surviving-texas/feed/0Teachers in Traininghttps://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/08/teachers-in-training/
https://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/08/teachers-in-training/#respondFri, 09 Nov 2018 02:49:41 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9170The northern corner of the school holds what most people know as the old lunch detention room and the Panther Preschool, but it is so much more than that. These rooms serve as instructional centers for those enrolled in the Instructional Practices-Intro to Teaching course. This class, which has been a part of the school since 1982, is an internship and occupational program in which students combine classroom and field work into an educational experience.

“Our students have so much experience by the time they leave,” Instructor Raylene Eldridge said. “They are all comfortable [with teaching.]”

The program is project-based and relies on collaborative work. The focus is not solely to improve the student’s teaching skills but to also improve technical skills which lend themselves well to leading a classroom such as writing and presenting. The curriculum taught in the class can be applied to both students’ lives and the field site.

“It’s such a safe environment,” Eldridge said. “We are like a very big family”

The class is double-blocked and takes place from zero hour to first period. The program consists of four rotations throughout the year of different working locations, one of which is held at the Panther Preschool. First-year students participate in the field on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and complete 150 hours of experience in the field over the year; students who are in the second year of the program complete 300 hours and participate in the field from Tuesday to Thursday. Students not only learn in the classroom, but also dedicate time to working at field sites. Participants of the program gain experience that most people don’t get until college.

“I think if anyone is even dreaming or thinking about [the program], they should consider it,” Eldridge said.

To be considered, students must complete an application and pass a background check for Plano ISD and Texas Child Care Licensing. Those in the program are held to a high level of accountability while a part of the program.

McCutchan, who was a participant in the Intro to Teaching program in the 1980s back when it was called Child Care Management, has served as the director for the Panther Preschool for the past 16 years. McCutchan works with five students acting as teacher assistants at each learning station. The students rotate, teaching the different stations and getting to create their own lesson plan every week in addition to teaching the preschool curriculum.

“It led to a wealth of opportunities for me,” McCutchan said. “It opened many doors.”

The toddlers in the Panther Preschool are taught through various learning styles. The preschoolers learn about feelings and how their mind works as well as calming strategies.

“We learn [through] activity-based learning,” McCutchan said. “Through play, we create activities that are fun for children to learn through. It is actually quite challenging to create activities that children can learn while having fun.”

Senior Megan White has wanted to be a teacher since elementary school. She completed one rotation in a first grade classroom at Hunt Elementary School and is now in her second rotation at Boggess Elementary School. Her next rotation will be at the Panther Preschool.

Megan hopes to eventually teach students in kindergarten to second grade. Throughout her time in the program so far, she has encountered new responsibilities in leading a classroom, such as being in charge of the students’ morning tasks or helping students individually. She has also had to overcome obstacles such as finding the balance between teaching those who need help and pushing advanced students to excel.

“It really is a great opportunity,” Eldridge said. “They get such great experience from the program.”

]]>https://www.peshprints.com/features/2018/11/08/teachers-in-training/feed/0Mindfully Controversialhttps://www.peshprints.com/opinion/2018/11/07/mindfully-controversial/
https://www.peshprints.com/opinion/2018/11/07/mindfully-controversial/#respondThu, 08 Nov 2018 02:29:11 +0000https://www.peshprints.com/?p=9166Popular YouTuber Shane Dawson released the last episode of his eight-part documentary titled “The Mind of Jake Paul” on Oct. 18, but from the premiere of the series, critics have chided him for giving a platform to the infamous YouTube star. While the controversy surrounding Paul and his friends is undoubtedly plausible, Dawson’s series serves as an example of accountability, communication and kindness the Youtube community desperately needs.

By approaching the series with neither hate nor loyalty, Dawson is able to appeal to fans and critics alike. He began the first video with a disclaimer acknowledging Paul’s past actions and concerns about associating with such a publicly disliked figure, but he went on to explain that he wants to give Paul a chance to explain himself and his decisions. The choice not to blindly hate Paul based solely on his online presence encouraged many of Dawson’s viewers to take a step back and reconsider their own feelings towards the star. In the third episode, “The World of Jake Paul,” Dawson visits Paul’s home and reveals who he is when the cameras turn off. He takes viewers through Paul’s actual life and gives them an idea of what they don’t see: the behind-the-scenes of his content, as well as a mellow and calm side to his personality.

While this prompts reevaluation from Paul’s opposers, interviews with his former manager Nick Crompton and ex-girlfriend Alissa Violet revisit his shortcomings and expose the deceitful nature of his content. This was a much-needed revelation for Paul’s young and impressionable fanbase, which is generally comprised of eight to 14-year-olds. The most common criticism he receives is how irresponsibly he handles their viewership by exploiting them when he continuously reminds them to buy his merchandise. However, Dawson reveals much of Paul’s crazy content is staged, causing many of his fans to become less interested and place less trust in him after watching the documentary. For worried parents, this was most certainly a positive impact.

The most revolutionary aspect of this venture, however, is the format of the series. Dawson made each installation 40 to 45 minutes long, the average length of an episode from a professionally-produced TV series, and still managed to get more than 120 million views in total. Most YouTube videos are only four to five minutes long and typically very fast paced to appeal to increasingly shorter attention spans. Despite the documentary format, the entire series was not pre-produced; Dawson was still filming for later episodes when he published the first. This made it so that he was able to build upon and address the controversies stirred by each episode in the following one. Also, keeping in mind this short time span, the production quality of each episode was impressive. The end result encourages other creators to follow suit and pursue more inventive and thought-out videos rather than clickbait.

To many, the negative impacts of this series still outweigh the positives. The main argument against the documentary is the increased attention it places on Paul, whom critics regard as undeserving of any. While Paul certainly benefited financially from increased publicity, the series was a necessary step in dismantling the capitalization on drama surrounding him and his friends by bringing the truth in rumor-enveloped situations to light.

Dawson took a huge risk to his career in pursuing the truth behind such a contentious figure, but it was a risk worth taking. This unprecedented new content is pushing the YouTube platform in a much more positive and creative direction that could regain the interest of disenchanted older teens and young adults.